There are three basic types of towers—guyed, self-supporting, and monopoles (MP). A guyed tower is a slender, steel structure supported by high strength steel guy cables that anchor the tower to the ground. A guyed tower is typically constructed in prefabricated sections that can be assembled and bolted together on site to reduce installation time and cost. Guyed towers suit a wide range of loading conditions and can be used as broadcast towers, microwave towers, and/or cellular towers.
Periodic inspections and maintenance of guyed towers is important to increase the service life of the tower and to ensure safety of persons and property in the vicinity of the tower. Severe loading conditions and corrosive forces can impair the integrity of the tower structure, and, if not corrected, can lead to tower failure. One area of concern is the presence of broken strands, corrosion, or fraying in guy wires. If damaged guy wires are not properly attended to, the guy wires may break under severe loading conditions, greatly increasing the possibility of a catastrophic failure.
It is recommended that guy wires and guy anchors be inspected at least quarterly. During such inspections, the ends of the guy wire are typically inspected for signs of fatigue, such as broken strands, or corrosion. Most guy wire failures occur at the ends of the guy wire adjacent the connection to either the tower or the ground anchor. If the guy wire shows signs of fatigue or excessive corrosion, the damaged end is cut off. A problem that often occurs when repairing damaged guy wires is that the remaining portion of the guy wire left after the damaged end is cut off is too short to make the connection between the tower and the ground anchor. In these cases, the entire guy wire is typically replaced, which can be time consuming and expensive. It would be beneficial if a way could be devised for reusing a guy wire that has been cut short to remove a damaged or frayed end.